Various tumor related diseases inflict man. Considerable research has been devoted to oncology and antitumor measures. Tumors are common in a variety of mammals and the prevention, control of the growth and regression of tumors in mammals is important to man. The term tumor refers to abnormal masses of new tissue growth which is discordant with the economy of the tissue of origin or of the host's body as a whole.
Tumors inflict mammals and man with a variety of disorders and conditions including various forms of cancer and resultant cancerous cachexia, which term refers to the symptomatic discomfort that accompanies the infliction of a mammal with a tumor. These symptoms include weakened condition of the inflicted mammal as evidenced by, for example, weight loss. The seriousness of cancer is well known. Cancer is second only to heart and vascular diseases as a cause of death in man.
Considerable research and resources have been devoted to oncology and antitumor measures including chemotherapy. While certain methods and chemical compositions have been developed which aid in inhibiting, remitting or controlling the growth of tumors new methods and antitumor chemical compositions are needed.
Bacteria are of practical importance to man. While some bacteria are useful in industry and for soil fertilization, others are harmful. Bacteria are responsible for diseases in man, other animals and plants including, for example in man botulism, diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis. Bacteria also cause large economic damage due to spoiling of various foods (e.g., milk products).
While many methods and chemical compositions have been utilized in controlling bacteria caused disease and other maladies, new antibacterial methods and chemical compositions are needed.
Prevention of the growth of fungus and the infections and maladies caused by fungus to mammals and plants are also of importance to man. The presence of fungi may cause various diseases and infections in man including mycotic disease (e.g., pulmonary candidiasis and pulmonary blastomycosis.) Certain yeastlike organisms (e.g. cryptococcus neoformans) may cause serious infections of the central nervous system. More commonly known fungal infections in humans and mammals include ringworm (fungus infections of hair and nail areas), as well as, resistant infections of the skin. Many other fungal infections inflict humans and mammals in the areas of skin, mucous membranes, intestinal tract, vaginal area and lungs.
Plants are also attacked by various fungi. Agricultural damage caused by fungus infections amounts to billions of dollars annually. Various inorganic and organic fungistats and fungicides have been tried with limited success. It is of course important for the fungistat or fungicide to kill the fungi but not the plant and to leave no toxic residue on the edible part of the plant. Various methods have been utilized to combat fungus infection in agriculture including the foliage fungicide method by which plants are coated with a preventive weather-resistant fungicide. Seed treatment and soil treatment methods require fungicides that are safe for seeds and resist degradation by soil and soil microorganisms. Chemotherapeutants are fungicides which permeate the plant to protect new growth or eliminate infections which have already occurred within the plant. Agricultural fungistats and fungicides and their application must also meet very stringent requirements and regulations, which have been promulgated, for example, in the United States.
Considerable research and resources have been devoted to combating fungal infections in both mammals and plants. While some antifungal agents and methods have been developed that inhibit the spread of fungus and fungus-caused diseases in both mammals and plants and treat infected mammals and plants new methods and antifungal chemical compositions are needed.
It has now been found that certain organic compounds derived from extracts of a marine sponge, of the family Halichondriidae, possess useful antitumor, antibacterial and antifungal activity.